Post-Synod commentary will become a money-making venture for Catholic bloggers and journalists, and many new - and old - expressions will be employed in the contest. I might start a list. Maybe not.

Well, maybe a short list to start out:

On the side of angels.

Really? I thought that was the name for a blog in the UK? Fr. Z picked up the term at a dinner with Remnant people in Rome. Taking sides in the Church? In the Catholic Church. Hmmmm.

The Conservatives won.

So the Synod was a competition? Like a football game, I guess?

Power in the Church.

Women want more power in the Church. Aberrosexualists want more power. Conservatives want more power. Power is not what it's about.

So anyway.

Not sure where I saw it, but one priest described Francis as a baby throwing his toys out of his pram - evidently the author believes the Pope is upset that he didn't get his way. Sounds like something a loyal son of the Church might say? No. I don't think so either.

Fomenting division instead.

I wonder if priests should take care of their flocks instead of vying for Internet-literary stardom and monetary compensation?

25 comments:

This is what you wrote in reply to a comment I made last year to a post concerning Father Z:

"Is he devisive? Not like his commenters, and definitely not like the Remnant crowd."

Yesterday, Father Z included Michael Matt, editor of the Remnant Newspaper, in a list of "prestigious lay people" with whom he had lunch. Michael Matt has called Pope Francis the worst pope in our history. It would seem that Father Z approves of such attacks.

Father Z also included Dr. John Rao in the list of "prestigious lay people." Dr. Rao, whom I have personally met, condemns Vatican II and the "Novus Ordo" Mass. Over the weekend he did a video with Michael Matt, his fellow prestigious lay man, in which he called Pope Francis a tyrant and said Pope Francis along with other hierarchy are pushing Christ out of the church.

In this same post in which he praised Michael Matt and John Rao, Father Z also tried to give hope to his readers by reminding them that the Pope Francis will not always be the pope.

Are you still the strong defender of Father Z that you have been in the past?

Did you also see Father Z's critique of the pope's homily at the end of the Synod? I quote: "Meh."

“The media have their share of the blame of course. But many journalists really understood our problems. Many are well informed. If anything, the problem lies with militant blogs that infest the web and play the role of mini inquisition tribunals. They attack anyone who doesn’t share their views, in an attempt to intimidate them, treating them like heretics. They do not formulate questions but doctrinal indictments.”

I read his current blog post with interest and with sadness at what he has had to endure for the sake of clarity and truth. But above it all, he remains charitable towards those who disagree with him.

Here's a sample:

"I received this letter yesterday from a man purporting to be a faithful Catholic:

Let me make this simple for you. Bergoglio was elected by demons. Yes, the Church will survive, thanks be to God, and not you. Bergoglio was elected by demons. They attempt to subvert the Church by attacking the Family, and promoting every sort of illicit, however popular, sexual relationship. Are you stupid? Stop it—you are going astray. In the name of Jesus, stop your obstinance."

You can visit his blog to read what more he has to say if you so wish.

While I won't defend Fr. Z's use of the term 'prestigious' to describe the Remnant crowd, I do think that it is important to note that Fr. Z does point out that it was mere coincidence that they were at the same restaurant. It wasn't that he arranged to have dinner with them. And even had he....so what? We shouldn't deduce agreement from association.

"And then a seriously clerical lunch… but with some prestigious lay people nearby at the same place, all by coincidence." - http://wdtprs.com/blog/2015/10/rome-day-3-synod-free-zone-abbatial-mass-and-fr-z-rants/

And to be quite honest, given the outrageous twisting of the Truth being done in the name of the synod, I'm really quite willing to be forgiving of people who need to vent a bit for the next week or so.

I'm not a Pope Francis basher...far from it...but the Holy Father has made some seriously grave and damaging prudential errors as of late. I don't believe there's any shame in saying so.

I think Jesus already told us what happens to people vying for power and prestige in the church - too many verses to enter in a blog combox so I will leave it at that. If everyone practiced the Little Way we'd all be better off.

I totally agree - but maybe they don't believe in love - there's a little book on that called: I Believe In Love. I think you're familiar with it. It's about the little way of confidence and love - Therese's devotion to merciful love.

I Believe In Love by Fr. Jean C.J. d'Elbee - I need to get back to reading it - thanks for the reminder. Sometimes Pope Francis puzzles me but one thing I am sure of about him - he loves people and he wants them to go to heaven. I am very excited about the Year of Mercy!

Yes - that's it. I can't say the Holy Father has puzzled me but some things he has said have troubled me - in this way though - his words and actions have opened me to examine my conscience with a different perspective, and he has helped me to correct my conscience. He has affirmed Catholic teaching for me.

To interject a slightly more serious note, I wonder now what Bishop Fellay will say? If it is true that Francis is trying to unify various disparate strands from both inside and outside the Church, will the SSPX continue in discussions aimed at reconciliation? I would imagine that at this point there is a tremendous amount of pressure on them to remain outside, so to speak, as a safe haven for those worried about the future. If that is the case, and again I think we must consider these things as part of the overall equation, will we see large numbers of defections?

And although nobody wants to discuss this (for understandable reasons), I wonder to myself what the face of a true schism looks like? I don't buy that the SSPX is in schism, but even if that were the case, I'm talking about it on a much larger scale, i.e. bishops and priests defecting, congregations seeking protection of African bishops, the election of an anti-pope, etc. Now, I'm not saying this is going to happen, nor am I suggesting that this is desirable; I'm very comfortable in our FSSP parish here in Dallas, and I'm not looking to bolt anywhere. I pray daily for Church unity. No, perhaps it's my novelist's tendency to think in terms of an overall storyline, but I don't think we should fool ourselves into thinking it won't happen. I just wonder what it would look like if it does?

"One should continue to pray that God will increase in him wisdom and grace so that he may be a faithful shepherd to Christ’s flock. But too many today are looking for absolutely any sentence, photograph, hand gesture, or comment that will “prove” that the Pope is another Judas.

There is papalotry… and then there is zealotry: when one thinks he is more Catholic than the Pope."

The Lord publicly proclaimed it: ‘I’, he said, ‘have prayed for you Peter that your faith may not fail, and you, once being converted, must confirm your brothers’… For this reason the Faith of the Apostolic seat has never failed even during turbulent times, but has remained whole and unharmed, so that the privilege of Peter continues to be unshaken. —POPE INNOCENT III (1198-1216), Can a Pope Become a Heretic? by Rev. Joseph Iannuzzi, Oct. 20th, 2014

Ha! One of my absolute favorite little books, booklet really, (it's even on Kindle now) is "Sins of the Tongue: the Backbiting Tongue" by Father Belet written in 1870. It's also all over the internet and it can be bookmarked or downloaded.. . One of my biggest temptations is gossip. It's a soul killer for me.

I know it helps if everyone is on the same page as to the definition of "gossip." :) This is from the late Father John Hardon's "Modern Catholic Dictionary":

GOSSIP. Idle talk, especially about others. The morality of gossip is determined by the degree to which time is wasted in useless conversation, by the failure in justice or charity committed against others, and by the damage done to people’s reputation by those who gossip.

Gossip ... a downfall for me too. I hope I can get away from it too as i know I will be a better person for it.

In the meantime ... our brothers and sisters in the faith are a fine example of what the faith is when put to the test:

Fr. Murad and his brothers. Free men in shackles

“The Christians,” said Fr. Jacques, “were often questioned about their faith and about the Christian doctrine, and they did not convert to Islam despite much pressure. They were faithful to the recitation of the Rosary. This experience of trial strengthened the faith of everyone including my faith as a priest. It is as if I have been born again”. We celebrated Sunday mass in the underground space and there was a special atmosphere. We all took part in the mass together, Syrian Orthodox Christians and Syrian Catholics alike. The most beautiful moment was the feast day of Mar Elian on 9 September, when I baptised three Syrian Orthodox children.”

Veritatis Splendor

About Me

... My idea of what I am is falsified by my preoccupation about what I do. And my illusions about myself are bred by contagion from the illusions of other men. We all seek to emulate one anothers imagined greatness....If I do not know who I am, it is because I think I am the sort of person everyone around me wants me to be. I have asked myself whether I wanted to become what everybody else seems to want to become... only to realize that I do not admire what everyone else seems to admire. I have only thus begun to live after all... But it is very late. - Adapted from a quote by Thomas Merton

Holy Face of Jesus

Show us your face and we shall be saved. "Each soul is the object of My special love. That is why I am so grateful to those who are resourceful and bringing back sinners to Me. Keep this in mind then. I gave My life for them in the most atrocious torture, for these poor beloved ones. A humble repentance, and they are already on My heart. So speak gently to them. Speak with tenderness. A brusque remark could drive them farther away." - He and I

Prayer to St. Michael

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

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